As they lay together, breathing heavy, he wondered what the future had in store for them. Two days before, he'd graduated, and had stayed to see Natalie's graduation. They were both moving back home for the summer before they both went off to grad school. This time they were both going to BU, and were to share an apartment. But as he watched her lying next to him, her skin soft against his and her eyes closed, he wondered if that was enough. He never wanted to be with anyone else. He loved Natalie more than he'd ever loved anyone or anything. He'd been in love with her- to varying degrees- since the sixth grade. And here she was, lying next to him after they had just made love, still perfect for him. He wondered if now was the time to bring it up.

Yes, he thought. Yes it was. As if on cue, she opened her eyes, and he smiled at her.

"What?" she asked.

"I thought you were asleep… you're adorable when you sleep."

She blushed and hid her face in the pillows.

"Nat?" he whispered. "Natalie?"

She looked up, cuddling closer to him.

He put a hand on her hair and let it slide down from her head to her shoulders to her back, and then around her waist.

"Will you marry me?"

Her eyes snapped open.

"What?"

He tried not to take her harsh tone as a rejection. "I asked if you'd marry me."

She looked at him, eyes wide, for an immeasurable moment.

"You want to marry me? Me?"

"Yes," he said, honesty on his face. "I love you more than anything, Nat. I don't ever want to be with anyone else. Those two months we broke up last year were possibly the worst of my life. Then, or junior year of high school when I just realized that I was in love with you, and at the same time I was so scared you'd kill yourself-"

"Can we not talk about those times, please? They're not my favorite memories either," she said, looking away. "I meant… you'd trust me to be your wife? I'm fine now, it's true… but what about five years down the line? What if we have kids-"

"Great. I'll love them too-"

"That's not what I meant! What if I can't take it? What if I let you down…?" she asked, fear in her voice. He put his arms around her, and held her close, turning onto his back so she was lying on top of him.

"Then I'll be there for you, every step of the way. I love you so much, Natalie. I believe that you can handle this, for one, but if you can't… well, I promised you once that I'd always be here for you. And it's still true. No matter what," he said but she was already shaking her head.

"Henry. Henry. I don't want you to. I don't want you to end up like my father, throwing everything away for me. I love you too much to let you do that. I don't want to ruin your life by becoming your wife-"

"But you'll ruin it by not marrying me?" he asked, seriously worried now.

"Henry- it wouldn't ruin your life-"

"Natalie. I'm not trying to pressure you. But yes it would. I want this, us, you forever. I want you when you're sad, angry, and yes- crazy, because it's better than not having you at all. You're the one person for me, Natalie, and I know there's no one like you in the world. I want to come home to you every day, and to sleep next to you every night. I want to plan everything in my life with you. I want for everyone to know how much I love you, and I want for everyone to know that I've chosen someone, that I've found the person I'm meant to be with. I wake up every day and feel thankful that I know you, Natalie, and I've known you for such a long time. Some people never meet that person, Nat, and I'm so lucky to have spent even this much time with you. But I want it all… if it happens, I want us to have kids. Our kids. And we'll raise them well and we'll do it together. And I think you can do it. I know you can."

She looked away. When she looked back, he saw there were tears in her eyes.

"Natalie!" he said, taking her face in his hands and kissing her. "Did I upset you?"

"No… it's not that. It's just…" she wiped her tears. "I want all that. I want it with you. You're right… we're so lucky to have each other. And I'm thankful for you, too. I want what you want." She let out a sob. "Even the kids. I can see our kids, Henry. Not exactly, but I can see us having kids. And you'd be a really, really good father. I just can't believe you want all this with me. Me, the messed up, damaged goods. I'm worried I'd disappoint you somehow. Or make a mistake with our child. I couldn't stand that."

She laid her face against his chest, hiding her crying eyes. She wouldn't look at him, so he just talked to the ceiling.

"Nat, we'd have to take it one day at a time. But who doesn't? I just don't think that, given all that we have together, we should just throw it away because we're scared. I know I'm meant to be with you, somehow. I'm willing to risk possibly being hurt for a life that is worth so much more than any disappointment. You are worth a few bumps in the road, Nat. No- you're definitely worth much, much more than that."

"I love you, Henry," she said.

"I love you, too."

"And… I think I'm willing to take a risk. As long as you're with me, every step of the way."

"I promise I will be."

She leaned up and kissed him. "I couldn't see myself with anyone else. Who else can make me laugh about the dumbest things? Or pull conversations out of thin air? Or manage to say all the right things?"

"Aw, Nat, you're making me blush."

"I'm serious."

"I am, too. Does this mean…?"

"It means that yes Henry, I'll marry you."

He let out a sigh of relief, and then smiled, and not being able to help it, laughed out loud. He hugged her so tightly that she had to remind him that she needed to breathe in order to make it to the wedding, and then he kissed her until neither of them were breathing too well.

"I love you so much, Nat."

"Me, too, Henry. Me, too."

"Want to see something?" he reached over the side of the bed and found his jeans, pulling a box out of the pocket. He rolled back over next to her. "Here. Look."

She smiled, her heart picking up speed. This is really happening, she though and opened the box. The ring inside was perfect. It was a plain silver band with a small round diamond set on it, held with tiny silver webbing. Very simple. Probably the simplest ring one could have, but to her it was beautiful. She didn't need anything fancy.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, leaning over and kissing Henry. "Thank you."

He took the box from her hands and removed the ring, slipping it onto her finger. When it was in place, he squeezed her hand. She looked down at the sparkling adornment that she would wear for the rest of her life, and smiled.

Perfect.

The next morning, when Dan arrived to load the car and drive home, Natalie already had all her sheets and dirty clothes in the washing machine downstairs, and she and Henry were finishing up packing, while eating all the remaining food in her apartment.

"Hi, Dad!" she called when he stuck his head in to the door. "Come on in!"

Henry turned off his iPod from the speakers. "Help yourself to the contents of Natalie's refrigerator," he said, pointing to a half-filled bottle of Sprite, two apples, and a yogurt. "We've already eaten everything else."

"I thought you went home, Henry," Dan remarked casually while pouring himself some Sprite.

Henry caught Nat's eye, and she shook her head slightly.

"I wanted to help Nat finish packing so you two could get out of here early. Miss the rush and everything."

"That was nice of you," Dan said, picking up a box and stacking it with the others by the door. "What's left?"

"Just the clothes and my sheets in the dryer. I think everything else either came with the apartment or is packed," Natalie answered.

"I'll go check around," Henry said, heading out the door that led to the kitchen and bedrooms.

Natalie sighed stretched, and sat on the ground (the only place to sit, really), and began taping up a box that held her books. Her ring caught the light, and, forgetting her dad was there, she idly looked at it and smiled.

Dan was watching her this whole time, and when she looked at her hand, his eyes followed hers…

"Nat?" he asked, and she looked up.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have something to tell me?" He pointed at her hand.

She looked at him, and then down at the ring, and then back up. "Yeah. Um…" she couldn't help it. Her happiness came through, and she beamed. "Henry and I are getting married!"

Thank goodness, he thought. He knew for the past year or so that this was bound to happen sooner or later. He couldn't be happier. "Congratulations!" he said, hugging Natalie. "When did this happen?"

Surely it had to have been either this morning or yesterday. He would have noticed if she was wearing the ring a graduation- well, someone would have.

"Yesterday, right after everyone left."

He realized that Henry probably never left her apartment, and that was why he was still here this morning. Oh, well.

"That's great, Nat. Wonderful."

"I know," she said dreamily. Natalie- dreamy. He'd never seen her this happy.

"I think we've got everything!" Henry's voice came through, and he as back in the room. "I didn't see anything lying around."

"Henry!" Dan called overzealously. "Congratulations! Welcome to the Goodman clan!"

The Goodman clan? Henry wondered, but just went with it. Natalie just shrugged her shoulders. Dan stood up and acted all father-son, slapping him on the shoulder and weird stuff like that, which Henry figured Mr. Goodman felt obligated to do, whether he wanted to or not.

"So, why didn't you two tell me sooner? Why did you spare the news?"

"We didn't spare you the news," Natalie said. "You got here, like, five minutes ago. And we sort of didn't want you to-"

Henry gave her a look. "We wanted it to be a surprise!"

Dan rolled his eyes. "It wasn't really a surprise. I've been hoping his would happen ever since you two started dating!"

"Yeah, me too," Henry said. Dan laughed. Natalie didn't.